Vikings' latest well-rounded win has players believing this team is 'special'

The Vikings' ceiling is very high if they keep playing like this on both sides of the ball.

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Aaron Jones has been on some very good football teams. He spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Packers, winning 13 games three times and making two trips to the NFC championship game. So when he says there's something different about this Vikings team, that stands out.

"It's different from anything I've been a part of," Jones said after Sunday's 34-7 win over the Texans. "I can't put my finger on what it is that's different, because I've been a part of some good teams, but this is a special team. I've had this conversation with my mom, I was like 'Mom, I don't know what it is, I can't put my finger on it,' but I'm just happy to be around this group of men. We're going to continue to do what we've been doing, stacking it daily, and continue to get better."

Jones said he started to feel that way after the Vikings' first game, a blowout road win over the Giants. Since then, they've taken down the 49ers and Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium in impressive fashion. Heading into a Week 4 matchup against Jones' former team, the Vikings are 3-0 with a +55 point differential that ranks second in the NFL.

In his locker room speech after this latest win, head coach Kevin O'Connell had a similar message, telling his team that "special, special s*** is gonna happen" if they continue to do what they've done thus far.

It's not just the fact that the Vikings are undefeated to begin this season, it's the way in which they've done it. They have two blowout wins and were a couple red zone turnovers away from a much more comfortable victory over the 49ers last week. The offense, with guys like Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson, and Jones leading the way, is executing efficiently. Brian Flores' defense has been absolutely dominant, allowing just 30 total points so far with 16 sacks and six takeaways.

Outside expectations for this Vikings team were low heading into this season, but they've believed all along that they had the makings of a very good group. It's a well-coached team with talent and experience and hunger up and down the roster. The results they've put on tape over these last three Sundays are a reflection of the way they've prepared all offseason and the way they've continued to work throughout the week since the games began.

"I love those guys in the locker room, the way that we've been able to prepare throughout the week and the looks that we're getting from the scout team, everything is high-level football right now," Darnold said. "I think we've gotta continue to push each other on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, to be able to go out there on Sunday and perform at a high level, because there's still room for improvement. Even the scoreboard doesn't tell the whole story. There's a lot of room for improvement, and we're gonna continue to reach for that improvement."

Harrison Smith, a 13-year veteran and the team's longest-tenured player, described how much fun he's having playing on this team, and this defense, with the group of guys the Vikings have assembled.

"We're getting stuff done every week," Smith said. "There's a lot of purpose, with joy and with a determined mindset. It's not like 'Oh we gotta go to practice, we gotta go to meetings.' There's none of that. Because we're doing stuff that we all believe in and we like to work together. I wake up and I enjoy going to work, and I think pretty much everybody does. That does something in the long run. We just gotta keep doing what we're doing and try to get a little better each week."

If the Vikings can keep executing like this, the sky is the limit when it comes to what they can accomplish this season. The whole roster has bought into the coaching of O'Connell and Flores and their staffs. They believe in each other. And on both sides of the ball, what you're seeing is a team that's playing hard and playing cohesively. It's a talented group that still feels like it has a lot to improve upon, even amid a 3-0 start.

The key for the Vikings, as O'Connell has pointed out each week, is to focus on each individual day and keep preparing the same way every time.

"I'm having an absolute blast coaching this team," O'Connell said. "And I think we're made of the right stuff. And we've just gotta keep proving it. Because that's what this league is all about, as great as this feels for our team to start out 3-0 and beat some really good football teams and win at home, every week is gonna be a challenge. How disciplined can we be to have the best possible Wednesday practice we can this coming Wednesday and then worry about Thursday next. It sounds like a cliché, but if your players are willing to commit to that process and demand it of each other, we're gonna be OK."

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